A VHS type cassette is constructed in fully closed structure having a lid provided in front of it where its tape is exposed. Here, the lid is installed with a lock mechanism and is supposed to be open in case the lock mechanism is released.
A front loading type cassette loading apparatus generally comprises a driving mechanism, a cassette holder for receiving an inserted cassette, means for moving the inserted cassette horizontally at a constant level and then moving it vertically downward by the driving mechanism and a cassette holder housing for guiding the horizontal and vertical movements. The cassette holder is provided with a release lever for releasing the lock mechanism of the cassette lid.
Therefore, a cassette should be correctly inserted into the cassette holder and its lock mechanism and release lever must meet exactly such that the lid opening operation is smoothly carried out. In other words, cassette recognition means is needed for stopping the cassette holder in case a cassette is inserted incorrectly. Such cassette recognition means plays a very important role when a cassette holder is automatically transferred by a motor, and turned on by a user's pushing of the cassette regardless of an absence or a mislocation of the cassette due to initial back tension.
Therefore, a conventional system, comprises a lifter mechanism which is elastically biased upward on the side of the cassette holder. The lifter holds the cassette holder by engaging with a fixture located over the cassette holder, for example a housing of the cassette holder, and releases the holder to be transferred by the weight of the inserted cassette. The lifter, however, cannot be operated well when the cassette sways vertically.
Conventional cassette lid opening means comprise a cam groove formed in a guide bracket which guides the movement of the cassette holder, and a lid opener installed on the cam groove with a spring and displaced by the pushing of the cassette holder. However, the lid opener easily departs from the cam groove and the spring gives a resistant force in the opposite direction of moving of the cassette holder motion to increase the load of a driving motor.